NOTES. 143 



Three Broods of Blackbirds reahed from one Nest. — 

 In the Zeitschrifi fiir Oologie und Ornithologie, XXI., p. 15, 

 Herr P. Kreft't gives particulars of a nest of Blackbirds [Turdus 

 merula) which was used three times in succession by a pair 

 of birds for breeding purposes, and asks whether any similar 

 instance has been known to occur. Of course many instances 

 are on record in which the same nest has been used twice, 

 but the only case in which we are aware of three broods 

 having been reared in one nest in England, is that recorded 

 in the Field of June 15th, 1901, where Mr. E. Hawes gives 

 details of an occurrence of this kind in an old arbor-vitse 

 stump in his garden in Richmond during the spring of 1901. 



Golden Oriole seen in Yorkshire. — Mr. S. Crook, 

 records {Nat., 1911, p. 330) that he and a friend saw a male 

 Golden Oriole [Oriolus galhula) at a distance of ten yards, 

 on July 9th, 1911, at Hackness, near Scarborough. The 

 Golden Oriole is rarely observed so far north as Yorkshire. 



Swallow Nesting in a Tree. — Mr. E. A. Fitch in the 

 Zoologist, 1911 (p. 314), describes the nest of a Swallow 

 {Hirundo rustica) built in the outside branch of a pendent 

 maple tree, hanging over a tributary of the River Chelmer. 

 Several similar instances have been previously recorded 

 (c/. Yarrell, 4th Ed., II., pp. 343, 348 ; Birds of Lancashire, 

 2nd Ed., p. 56 ; Field, September 5th and 12th, 1885 ; ZooL, 

 1886, p. 486, and Ibis, 1896, p. 135, etc.), but the occurrence 

 of such nests is sufficiently rare to deserve record. 



Hoopoes Breeding in Confinement.— In Bird Notes, 

 1911 (pp. 221 and 257), Mr. M. Armstein describes the success- 

 ful rearing of five young Hoopoes in his aviary in 1911. 

 They were hatched on July 8th, the hen incubating alone. 

 During the whole period she was never once seen off the nest, 

 but was fed constantly by the male. Before nesting the cock 

 went through a curious performance : taking a mealworm he 

 offered it to the hen, and when she opened her bill to receive 

 it he would place it almost inside, but then withdraw it 

 again. This was repeated for five or six minutes. After the 

 young were fledged, this performance was repeated on 

 July 28th. 



Green Sandpiper in the Outer Hebrides. — ^Mr. A. T. A. 

 Ritchie records {Field, 26.8.1911, p. 528) that on August 

 3rd, 1911, he shot a male example of Totanus ochropus near 



